Bradbury’s The Sound of Thunder and Skurzynski’s Nethergrave are both good science fiction stories. How ever the themes are completely different. Both stories have their pros and cons like everything else. I believe the focus of these stories are how technology can affect us in such a dramatic way and can change the world we live in. Both stories are similar, but different in many ways.
I felt that Bradbury’s story was more interesting than Skurzynski’s story. His idea was that the slightest thing could change the future. This story left me wanting more. In the story, Eckels uses a time machine, to go back to a time when dinosaurs lived. He made a giant mistake that cost him his life. Every person has at least made one big mistake in their life time. The mistake seemed small at the time, but it had a huge effect on the world in the long run!
Although Skurzynski’s story was an interesting, I did not find it as interesting. The Nethergrave was about a boy, Jeremy, who felt his had no control of his life, and wanted a different one. The concept of a boy feeling abandoned is common, even in real life. With that said, he fled the world he was in, and went to a one he had more control over. This is what happens in the real world all the time. Unlike the main character, I don't think I would leave my current world. Throughout the story, I never felt as though Jeremy was a distinct, and interesting character. He also seemed very selfish.
Both of these stories show how technology can change a person’s life for better or for worse. While technology can be impressive and useful it can also cause major flaws in people and society. Normally in science fiction this plays a big role. Although those sorts of stories are a bit over the top, there are disadvantages to technology. For instance, television is useful, but can damage the brain. For instance, as we advance technologically we expand, sometime for better, others for the worse. In Bradbury’s story, the time machine technology ended up changing history for ever. In Skurzynski’s story, the boy entered a whole new virtual world, which resulted in Jeremy leaving Earth. We can see this in the real world how technology blossomed the economy and now is the downfall. More technology, less workforce is required!
Bradbury’s story is an interesting story, and I found it more relatable than Skurzynski’s story. Altering time, can have big effects in the future. Every decision we make, sets up the future for a different reality. Movies and TV shows always have this concept whenever a character wants to change their actions. Similar to how Eckels’ actions changed his present time for the worse. Everything we do changes not just the future, but the lives of everyone around us. We do not always know how our decisions will affect the future. What I might do today that I didn’t want to in the right stage of mind could change my life forever. The end results are often unknown until the effects cause a difference in our lives and that of our loved ones!
